Excavating-bucket.



No. 800,048. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905. H. S. ATKINSON.

BXGAVATING BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 3, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN YE N TOR J/rZerZS: 477%? San WITNESSES No. 800,048. PATENTED SEPT. 19, 1905.

' H. s. ATKINSON.

EXOAVATI-NG BUCKET.

APPLICATION I'ILED- DEC. 3, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES mvmrolg W f/erZerZ 6. 172%: .9022

f Br A A T TOHNEYS UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE- HERBERT S. ATKINSON, WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. ATKINSON & 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EXCAVATING-BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. ATKINSON,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at WVeehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating-Buckets, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an excavating-bucket of the clam-shell type which automatically opens and closes in the process of filling said bucket and which retains its closed position after having been filled until released by the person in charge thereof, at which time the contents thereof are automatically discharged, a further object being to provide a bucket of this type which is supported by only one line or cable, the said cable acting not only as a support thereof in the operation of raising and lowering the same, but also acts as means for closing said buckets previous to being raised when filled, and

a still further object being to provide such a rate parts'of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a View of a clam-shell bucket constructed according to my invention and in a closed position; Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1 and the bucket being shown in an open position previous to being filled; Fig. 3, a view of my invention at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrow B and partially in section, and Fig. 4: a sectional view of a detail of the construction.

In the drawings forming part of this speci: iication I have shown a bucket of the clamshell type comprising two shells at and b, which are pivotally connected, as shown at a and Z2 with connecting-rods a and b the connecting-rods a and 6 being pivotally connected at their tops in a manner to be hereinafter described, and pivotally connected with the shells a and b, as shown at a and 6*, are

,two links a and b pivotally connected, as

shown at a, and the links a and I) serve as limiting means in the operation of opening said bucket or separating the shells at and b thereof and as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

Pivotally connected with the shell a at a is a frame 0, comprising inclined side members c and a transverse member 0 connecting the side membersc and the side members 0 carrying at their upper or inner ends a raised head 0, and mounted in the heads 0* and preferably secured therein is a shaft 0", upon which is mounted a power-wheel a, provided with a channeled member 0 on each side thereof, within each of which is secured and adapted to roll thereon a chain 0 the said chains 0 being secured at their upper ends toa rod 0 which serves as the pivotal support of the connecting-rods a and Z2 a support for the chains 0 and also as a support for a guide-sheave d, said guide-sheave d being adapted to engage a vertical rope or cable d which serves as a support for my bucket and which is adapted to be wound on the power-wheel o, and because of the pivotal connection at a of the frame 0 and the shell a said frame, together with the power-wheel c and chains 0 are free to drop into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 when the supporting-cable 0Z is slackened off, and in this operation, the upper ends of the chains 0 being secured and the said chains being wound on the drums c, which are integral with the power-wheel 0, said power-wheel and drums are rotated in the unwinding of the chains 0 therefrom, and thereby wind the cable 0Z around the power-wheel c.

The shells at and b are provided with upwardly and inwardly directed arms a and 5 which are pivotally connected with each other at 5 this connection being made by means of a tube 6, upon which the blade-arms a and b are rotatably mounted and within which is slidably mounted a bolt 6?, normally forced inwardly by means of a helical spring 6 and said bolt is provided with a plurality of teeth on one side thereof, which are engaged by corresponding teeth of a segment-gear pivoted within a casing 6 connected with or integral with the tube a, and the segmentgear e is provided with an outwardly-extended member 6, with which is connected a chain 6 this construction being the same on each side of the bucket, and the chains 6 are preferably operated above said bucket and connected to a cable e and by means of which a and b at this time serve as the pivotal supports of said shells, and said shells separate in this downward movement of their pivotal connection until the position shown in Fig. 2 is reached.

. The heads 0 are shown in detail in Fig. 4 and at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 3 and are provided with inclined surfaceson the side adjacent to the bolt e and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 if the cable d be slackened the frame 0 descends into the position shown in dotted lines, carrying with it the power-wheel c, which winds the cable (Z thereon because of the unwinding of the chains 0 as hereinbefore described, and the frame 0 descends until the heads 0* strike against the inner ends of the bolts 6 and because of the inclined surfaces of the heads 0* said bolts are forced outwardly against the action of the springs e until the recess f in said heads is reached, at whichtime the bolts are forced thereinto by said springs, and the frame 0 is at this time locked to the pivotal connection of the arms a and b of the shells a and I), and when the drum of the engine upon which the other end of the cable d is wound is rotated to wind up the cable J said cable is unwound from the power-wheel 0 and in this operation winds up the chains 0 on the corresponding drums c and in this operation the frame 0 and the pivoted arms a and b of the shells a and b are raised, thereby drawing the shells at and Z) together and into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which operation the dirt or other material being excavated is scraped up and held in said shells, and upon continued rotation of the hoisting-engine the bucket is raised in the air clear of the material being excavated and is carried to a suitable point in the usual manner, and when this position has been reached a pull on the line 0 again withdraws the bolt 6 permitting the shells at and b to again separate and the contents thereof to be discharged, and the bucket is carried in this position back to the excavating-point and lowered to the material being excavated, and upon slackening the cable the frame 0 drops, as hereinbefore described, and engages the bolts 0 and when the cable d is again drawn upwardly the shells at and bagain approach each other and are filled with the said material and again carried to the point of discharge, and this operation may be repeated as often as desired. It will therefore be seen that my bucket is supported in both the raising and lowering thereof by one cable, said cable operating also to close said buckets, and because of the simplicity of construction all that portion thereof involving the pivoted frame 0, the power-wheel mounted thereon, and the locking devices for connecting the said shells at their pivotal point with the frame 0 my invention is adapted for or may be placed on clam-shell buckets as at present employed, and various changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other, a frame pivoted to one of said shell members, a powerwheel rotatable in said frame, a supporting-cable wound on and secured to said power-wheel and devices for locking said frame to the pivotal point of said shells, substantially as shown and described.

2. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other, a frame pivoted to one of said shell members, a powerwheel rotatable in said frame, a head provided with a recess and with beveled edges on said frame on each side of" said power-wheel, a spring-operated bolt at the pivotal point of said shell members, said bolt being adapted to enter said recess and means for releasing said bolt from said frame, substantially as shown and described.

3. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other, a frame pivoted to one of said shell members, a power-wheel rotatable in said frame, a head provided with a recess and with beveled edges on said frame on each side of said power-wheel, a spring-operated bolt at the pivotal point of said shell members, said bolt being adapted to enter said recess and means for releasing said bolt from said frame, comprising a segment-gear in operative connection with a rack on said bolt and a rope or cable connected with said segment-gears, substantially as shown and described.

4. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other, a link pivoted to each of said shell members, said links being pivotally connected with each other and serving as limiting-stops for said shells, connecting-rods pivotally connected with each other above said shell members and each of which is pivotally connected with a corresponding shell member, a frame pivotally connected with one of said shell members, a power-wheel rotatable in said frame, and locking devices in said shell members adapted to engage said frame, substantially as shown and described.

IIO

IIS

5. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shells pivotally connected with each other, connecting rods pivotally connected with each of said shell members and with each other, link members pivotally connected with each of said shell members and with each other, a frame pivotally connected with one of said shell members, a power-wheel rotatablein said frame, a cable secured to and adapted to be wound on said power-wheel, a chain secured to and adapted to be wound on a drum secured to said power-wheel, said chain being secured at its other end to said connectingrods, locking devices connecting said shell members with said pivoted frame and devices for disengaging said lock therefrom, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other, connecting-rods pivoted to each of said shell members and with each other, a frame pivotally connected with one of said shell members, a cable in operative connection with said pivoted frame and devices for locking said frame to said shell members, substantially as shown and described.

7. An excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivoted to each other, connecting-rods serving as a support therefor in an open position, a cable serving as a support for said bucket, devices connected with said cable for closing said bucket when open and means connected with said devices for opening said bucket when closed, substantially as shown and described.

8. In an excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other;-a frame pivoted to one of said shell members, a power-wheel rotatable in said frame, and devices for automatically locking said frame to the pivotal point of said shell members, substantially as shown and described.

9. In an excavating-bucket, comprising two shell members pivotally connected with each other; a frame pivoted to one of said shell members, a power-wheel rotatable in said frame, and devices for automatically locking said frame to the pivotal point of said shell members, and means for releasing the same therefrom, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 1st day of December, 190

HERBERT S. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, C. E. MULREANY. 

